Trump says "big price to pay" for Syria chemical attack

[webfact]

Trump says "big price to pay" for Syria chemical attack

By Dahlia Nehme and Roberta Rampton

 

A child cries as they have their face wiped following alleged chemical weapons attack, in what is said to be Douma, Syria in this still image from video obtained by Reuters on April 8, 2018. White Helmets/Reuters TV via REUTERS

 

BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday there would be a "big price to pay" after medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas in a besieged rebel-held town in Syria.

 

As international officials worked to try to confirm the chemical attack which happened late on Saturday in the town of Douma, Trump took the rare step of directly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the incident.

 

The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack. Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports fake.

 

Trump threatened action, although it was unclear what he had in mind. Last year, he authorized a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base days after a sarin gas attack on civilians.

 

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump wrote on Twitter.

 

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned against military action on the basis of "invented and fabricated excuses."

 

A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people died in the attack.

 

A European diplomat said Western allies would work on building a dossier based on photos, videos, witness testimony and satellite images of Syrian flights and helicopters. However gaining access to samples on the ground would be difficult.

 

The United Nations Security Council will meet twice on Monday following rival requests by Russia and the United States.

 

U.N. war crimes investigators had previously documented 33 chemical attacks in Syria, attributing 27 to the Assad government, which has repeatedly denied using the weapons.

 

Russia has repeatedly blocked efforts to hold Syria accountable both at the U.N. and OPCW.

 

'HORRIBLE' IMAGES

 

Last week Trump said he wanted to bring home the 2,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Syria working to help fight Islamic State militants. His advisers have urged him to wait to ensure the militants are defeated and to prevent Assad's ally Iran from gaining a foothold.

 

Republican U.S. Senator John McCain said Assad was "emboldened" after Trump's remarks and said the U.S. president now needed to respond decisively.

 

"President Trump was quick to call out Assad today, along with the Russian and Iranian governments, on Twitter. The question now is whether he will do anything about it," McCain said in a statement.

 

Tom Bossert, Trump's homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, told ABC's "This Week" the White House would not rule out launching another missile attack and called photos of the incident "horrible."

 

One video of the new attack shared by activists showed bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some with foam at the mouth. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

 

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

 

Last year, one factor in Trump's decision to bomb Syria was televised images of dead children.

 

Two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Trump would likely await a conclusive “high confidence” intelligence assessment that the government used chemical weapons.

 

The presence of Russian forces at a number of Syrian military bases complicates the process for picking potential targets for any strike, said one official.

 

While some in the administration believe Russian forces should not be considered immune to attack because of Moscow's support for Assad, officials said Putin would see any loss of Russian lives or equipment as a deliberate escalation, and likely would respond by increasing support for Assad, or retaliating in other ways.

 

NEW TEAM AT WHITE HOUSE

 

Trump had a previously scheduled meeting at the White House on Monday with senior military leaders. He has shaken up his core national security team, replacing national security adviser H.R. McMaster with John Bolton, a hard-charging former UN ambassador, who officially begins on Monday.

 

Bolton last year praised Trump's missile response, though he has generally focused more on Iran as a bigger security threat.

 

Top White House officials were uncertain what advice Bolton may have given Trump about Syria, said a U.S. official.

 

However, two officials said Trump has been adamant about withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria, despite warnings about the consequences from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other military officials.

 

"Everyone paints John Bolton as an ideological madman and an Iranophobe, but he is a consummate bureaucratic infighter, and I would be shocked if he started his tenure by crossing swords with the president by arguing in favour of more U.S. involvement beyond retaliatory strikes," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

 

SHELTERING IN BASEMENTS

 

The Ghouta offensive has been one of the deadliest in Syria's seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

 

The monitoring group said it could not confirm whether chemical weapons had been used in the attack on Saturday.

 

Medical relief organization SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six, and a second attack with "mixed agents", including nerve agents, had hit a nearby building.

 

Basel Termanini, the U.S.-based vice president of SAMS, told Reuters another 35 people, most of them women and children, had been killed at a nearby apartment building.

 

SAMS and the civil defence said medical centres had taken in more than 500 people suffering breathing difficulties, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

 

Tawfik Chamaa, a Geneva-based Syrian doctor with the Syria-focused Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), a network of Syrian doctors, said 150 people were confirmed dead and the number was growing. "The majority were civilians, women and children trapped in underground shelters," he told Reuters.

 

Douma is in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus. Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta from rebel groups in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands.

 

Facing defeat, rebel groups elsewhere in eastern Ghouta have left. Until now, the prominent insurgent group Jaish al-Islam has rejected that option, but the attack led the group to finally give in to the government’s demand to leave.

 

There was no immediate comment from the group.

 

Taking Douma would seal Assad's biggest victory since 2016, and underline his unassailable position in the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it mushroomed from protests against his rule in 2011.

 

(Reporting by Dahlia Nehme and Tom Perry in Beirut, Mustafa Hashem in Cairo, Roberta Rampton, John Walcott, Mark Hosenball, Michelle Price and Sarah Lynch in Washington, Michelle Nichols in New York, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Anthony Deutsch in Amstersdam, John Irish in Paris, and Polina Ivanova in Moscow; Writing by Tom Perry and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Adrian Croft, James Dalgleish and David Gregorio)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-04-09

[Topdoc]

This alleged new 'chemical attack' in Syria reminds us of a series of similar events last year. We are told to believe that every time the U.S. pulls back from the war, the Syrian government responds with a new 'chemical attack' that forces the US to stay.

 

And all this hot on the heels of the hyped up 'chemical attack' on the Skripals.

 

 

[Hummin]

We are all part of the cruelty, since we all benefit from tragedies, since World economic power rules over misery and slavery. We are all lead in to believing we have the right agenda, and the right couses to continue the same route as before the romans ruled the world. Same shit same wending, nothing new. 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2018 by Hummin

[Odysseus123]

2 minutes ago, Topdoc said:

This alleged new 'chemical attack' in Syria reminds us of a series of similar events last year. We are told to believe that every time the U.S. pulls back from the war, the Syrian government responds with a new 'chemical attack' that forces the US to stay.

 

And all this hot on the heels of the hyped up 'chemical attack' on the Skripals.

 

 

Yep.

 

Splendid timing.A world run by spin doctors and propaganda agencies thinly disguised as "think tanks" and "foundations" is an absolute scream, isn't it?

[FreddieRoyle]

I hope Trump finds the wisdom to sit on his hands here. He needs to join Putin to support Assad, and let them work it all out themselves over in Syria. 

[sammieuk1]

Its the middle eastern way never happy until all their neighbours are dead.

[janclaes47]

I would have thought that if there had really be a chemical attack we would see many more victims.

 

Looks more like someone has been pushing his agenda to me.

Edited April 9, 2018 by janclaes47

[steve187]

28 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Can amateurs contribute on this thread, or is it only for full-time shills?

fire away

[DM07]

Faux News, said "it's up to the President, to react!"

And we all know, what that means!

[BuaBS]

Already reprisal:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-meast-crisis-syria-airfield/missiles-attack-air-base-in-homs-province-syrian-state-tv-idUSKBN1HG04Q?il=0

If not US (haha) , Israel or France ?

[Krataiboy]

Wow! Doesn't ANYBODY believe what the Americans tell us these days? Looks like one up to Putin and his propaganda factories.

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Wow! Doesn't ANYBODY believe what the Americans tell us these days? Looks like one up to Putin and his propaganda factories.

What about do not believe either sides? 

 

Remember before Irak war? And Kuwait propaganda in 1991?

Edited April 9, 2018 by Hummin

[Krataiboy]

Just now, Hummin said:

What about do not believe either sides? 

 

Remember before Irak war? And Kuwait propaganda in 1991?

Now you're talking!

[BuriramSam]

The only thing that needs to happen here is for the US to leave this regional conflict to countries in the region to handle.

[Hummin]

10 minutes ago, BuriramSam said:

The only thing that needs to happen here is for the US to leave this regional conflict to countries in the region to handle.

Well, lets leave it to Russia, China, Turkia, Iran,  and so on. Soon Thailand is in the hands of China and Russia as well, as rest of the Chineese sea will be. You see where it´s going? Europe is in the drain with Usa. 

[Morch]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

We are all part of the cruelty, since we all benefit from tragedies, since World economic power rules over misery and slavery. We are all lead in to believing we have the right agenda, and the right couses to continue the same route as before the romans ruled the world. Same shit same wending, nothing new. 

 

 

 

Speak for yourself. If you feel you're part of it, and that posting a bit of faux moralizing serves as penance, that's great. Doubt anyone on this forum directly "benefit" from this, or even indirectly so - other than by a convulsed and far-removed reasoning.

[geriatrickid]

 

8 hours ago, Khun Han said:

One would like to think that the 'price' will be cutting off aid and military support to the rebel head and limb-choppers who are responsible for this attack. But I strongly suspect that we are going to be led by our noses into world war three instead

In case you missed it, the rebels do not have an air force. The chemicals were apparently dropped by helicopter by way of exploding barrels.  The use of the  barrels is a common practice of the Syrian military.

 

7 hours ago, Topdoc said:

This alleged new 'chemical attack' in Syria reminds us of a series of similar events last year. We are told to believe that every time the U.S. pulls back from the war, the Syrian government responds with a new 'chemical attack' that forces the US to stay.

And all this hot on the heels of the hyped up 'chemical attack' on the Skripals.

The Syrian military is in a final push on the area and doesn't care what the USA says or does because it knows that the USA will not  respond. It is no secret that Trump wants US troops out of Syria asap.  Why even blame the USA? The USA has no history of using poison gas. In case you forgot, the arabs use biological and chemical weapons. Iraq deployed them against Iran. It also used biological  agents in its fight against the  swamp arabs in the period leading up to the Kuwait war.

 

7 hours ago, Hummin said:

We are all part of the cruelty, since we all benefit from tragedies, since World economic power rules over misery and slavery. We are all lead in to believing we have the right agenda, and the right couses to continue the same route as before the romans ruled the world. Same shit same wending, nothing new. 

Save your blame for your friends as I am not part of the "cruelty". The arabs have been killing each other long before I was born. The world economic power has no interest in Syria. It is Russia which has its large  naval  base in Syria and has a large  spy facility  monitoring communications. Iran has a vested interest as it supports the state within the state of Lebanon, called Hizbollah.

 

7 hours ago, BuaBS said:

We were warned in alt media 2 -3 weeks ago , that the US was planning a chemical attack . This is no news .I hope Russia will strike back HARD to any "big price" the US are going to send to Syria.

Who is this "alt news source" Is this like the bogus news stories planted in Facebook by the Russian agents? I think most people have caught on to the  fake stories planted by Russian agents.

 

6 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

Can amateurs contribute on this thread, or is it only for full-time shills?

I don't know if some are amateurs. I believe some are  either mentally ill because they get a thrill from  arguing false arguments, while others are Russian proxies.

 

6 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

I hope Trump finds the wisdom to sit on his hands here. He needs to join Putin to support Assad, and let them work it all out themselves over in Syria. 

I don't think Trump cares one way or the other about Assad. trump wants to bring the troops  back to the USA.  Israel, would prefer the  order of an Assad government vs. an ISIL state next to it. Turkey doesn't care, just so long as it can kill off Kurds. Even Jordan stopped caring long ago as it  wants to send the million or so refugees it houses in detention camps back to Syria.

 

6 hours ago, car720 said:

The people who knowing inflict this sort of suffering on the innocents are demons straight from hell.

It is not just one nation that does this though.  I am immediately reminded of the haunting photo of the little girl in Vietnam running naked for her life from the napalm.  Mongrels of the highest order.

And yet the antisemites of Thai Visa  demand that Israel accept the claims and statements of the people who have no hesitation in using poison gas. Not one word from the resident jew haters on this horrific event.

Assad has no reservation in using poison gas. He has used it  multiple times in the past. Russia doesn't care. I don't think the Iranians were in favour though as they suffered terrible casualties when Iraq used poison gas against them and must understand the horror of the chemicals.

 

6 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

I would have thought that if there had really be a chemical attack we would see many more victims.

Looks more like someone has been pushing his agenda to me.

The Syrians used barrel bombs and deployed a  smaller  amount of chlorine gas. The  smaller amount makes it harder to prove that chlorine gas was used. 45_ vicitims was significant enough I believe. The only one pushing an agenda are the  unknown  TVF  names claiming this is a US plot.

 

4 hours ago, BuriramSam said:

The only thing that needs to happen here is for the US to leave this regional conflict to countries in the region to handle.

So you believe that it is ok for Iran and Russia to meddle? How about the Turkish attempt to kill off the Kurds?  It is Europe that is at risk if more refugees stream across the borders this summer. They won't be  getting across the Israeli border anytime soon and the Iraqis kill the Syrians as soon as they get too far into Iraq.

The USA can indeed say buh-bye. Let the EU deal with the mess it helped create. There is a strong likelihood that Jordan may at some point say enough is enough and tell the refugees it holds to  go to Europe via Turkey, Lebanon, Cyprus and Malta.  I look forward to the EU's summer crisis and recommend a special tax on all EU airline tickets of  10 Euros to  cover the refugee costs.

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2018 by Rimmer
Troll text removed

[Hummin]

A response to the last quetes I got. 

 

Our wealth did not come without a price, and it cost to keep our trademarkeds. Enough said, but it is not that hard to figure out how we got where we are during the past time. 

 

Up to you to believe what you believe. Im happy Im part of Europe, part of the western side, and Nato. Because of our peace In Europe the last 73 years, we have benefit from the fast growing wealth beacouse of it. 

 

To admit mistakes is a good thing, and also know our week points. 

Edited April 9, 2018 by Hummin

[Somtamnication]

I am sure that peace-loving Bolton will give him some good advise. NOT! 

[Morch]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

A response to the last quetes I got. 

 

Our wealth did not come without a price, and it cost to keep our trademarkeds. Enough said, but it is not that hard to figure out how we got where we are during the past time. 

 

Up to you to believe what you believe. Im happy Im part of Europe, part of the western side, and Nato. Because of our peace In Europe the last 73 years, we have benefit from the fast growing wealth beacouse of it. 

 

To admint mistakes is a good thing, and also know our week points. 

 

There is no "we". There is no "our". That is, other than in nonsense co-opting posts. "Enough said", but nothing which ties the moralizing rants to the OP.

 

 

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Morch said:

 

There is no "we". There is no "our". That is, other than in nonsense co-opting posts. "Enough said", but nothing which ties the moralizing rants to the OP.

 

 

You not connected ? 

[FritsSikkink]

Trump wants to get the troops out of Syria, Russians happy

US military wants to keep the troops in Syria, Russians not happy

Chemical attack in Syria

Trump wants the troops in Syria, US military happy, Russians not happy

 

Sure it were the Russians again

 

 

[Morch]

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You not connected ? 

[Morch]

4 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Trump wants to get the troops out of Syria, Russians happy

US military wants to keep the troops in Syria, Russians not happy

Chemical attack in Syria

Trump wants the troops in Syria, US military happy, Russians not happy

 

Sure it were the Russians again

 

 

 

Because everything that happens follows a well laid pattern. There are no deviations, there are no miscalculations, there are no conflicting interests or act of folly. Guessing some of the people into this thinking also consider themselves atheists...

[maximillian]

1 hour ago, BuriramSam said:

The only thing that needs to happen here is for the US to leave this regional conflict to countries in the region to handle.

Why should they ?  They have started it with a certain agenda. They leave, yeah, they will leave a mess and another military base behind, wherever they go.

[geriatrickid]

59 minutes ago, Hummin said:

A response to the last quetes I got. 

 

Our wealth did not come without a price, and it cost to keep our trademarkeds. Enough said, but it is not that hard to figure out how we got where we are during the past time. 

 

Up to you to believe what you believe. Im happy Im part of Europe, part of the western side, and Nato. Because of our peace In Europe the last 73 years, we have benefit from the fast growing wealth beacouse of it. 

 

To admit mistakes is a good thing, and also know our week points. 

Your wealth came about because the USA poured billions into the rebuilding of Germany, because Canada and other Commonwealth nations despite their heavy losses provided charity and aid, because Commonwealth  nations allowed in millions of European refugees over the following decades. Need I remind you that much of Europe's  security came at the expense of the USA who picked up much of the cost of  NATO. There was no need for Canada to have kept its military bases in Europe until the 1980's. 

 

Very big difference compared to how the arab and muslim world has responded to the war in  SYria. One doesn't see Indonesia or Malaysia offering significant aid. Not much from Brunei either and on and on it goes.

 

Your European wealth also came about because Europe looted billions from its former colonies. Need I remind you that the Portuguese stripped everything they could when they left Africa. The Germans and Belgians stole the wealth of Africa and left nothing except pain in return. The USA hasn't stolen anything from Syria.

 

[Hummin]

9 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Your wealth came about because the USA poured billions into the rebuilding of Germany, because Canada and other Commonwealth nations despite their heavy losses provided charity and aid, because Commonwealth  nations allowed in millions of European refugees over the following decades. Need I remind you that much of Europe's  security came at the expense of the USA who picked up much of the cost of  NATO. There was no need for Canada to have kept its military bases in Europe until the 1980's. 

 

Very big difference compared to how the arab and muslim world has responded to the war in  SYria. One doesn't see Indonesia or Malaysia offering significant aid. Not much from Brunei either and on and on it goes.

 

Your European wealth also came about because Europe looted billions from its former colonies. Need I remind you that the Portuguese stripped everything they could when they left Africa. The Germans and Belgians stole the wealth of Africa and left nothing except pain in return. The USA hasn't stolen anything from Syria.

 

No need to remind me of anything where our wealth came from, and no problem to know where Usa wealth came from. Do I need to remind you? 

 

 

 

 

[BuriramSam]

43 minutes ago, maximillian said:

Why should they ?  They have started it with a certain agenda. They leave, yeah, they will leave a mess and another military base behind, wherever they go.

Gotta start buying out somewhere.

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, BuriramSam said:

Gotta start buying out somewhere.

John Mc Cain is not impressed by Trump last statement about leaving Syria, and blaiming him for the last gas attack, and letting Assad speed up his attacks. 

 

Seems likely Usa just attacked back on their airforces just hours ago? 

[rudi49jr]

4 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

I hope Trump finds the wisdom to sit on his hands here. He needs to join Putin to support Assad, and let them work it all out themselves over in Syria. 

'Trump' and 'wisdom': somehow those two don't really go together, I think ...